Assembly Resolution No. 1577
BY: M. of A. Rules (Smullen)
MEMORIALIZING Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim
September 26, 2026, as Hunting and Fishing Day in
the State of New York
WHEREAS, The great state of New York has a rich and storied
tradition of hunting and angling, that dates back further than the state
itself and carries forward to this day; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to memorialize
Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim September 26, 2026, as Hunting and
Fishing Day in the State of New York, in conjunction with the observance
of National Hunting and Fishing Day; and
WHEREAS, National Hunting and Fishing Day was established in 1972 to
celebrate and recognize hunters and anglers for their immense
contributions to fish and wildlife conservation, and to our society; and
WHEREAS, Hunting and angling continue to be an integral component of
the cultural fabric of communities throughout the state of New York, and
over recent years have offered a growing number of participants an
opportunity to connect with nature on a personal level while
simultaneously providing food security, a sense of self-sufficiency, and
both mental and physical health benefits; and
WHEREAS, New York's sportsmen and women were among the first
conservationists to support the establishment of the New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation to conserve fish, wildlife and
their habitat, and through their license fees helped fund state efforts
to provide for healthy and sustainable natural resources; and
WHEREAS, Upon realizing that license fees alone were insufficient to
restore and sustain healthy fish and wildlife populations, New York's
sportsmen and women supported self-imposed excise taxes on firearms and
ammunition, fishing tackle and motorboat fuels to raise additional
conservation funds; and
WHEREAS, To this day, the New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation is primarily funded by sportsmen and women, through the
American System of Conservation Funding - a "user pays - public
benefits" approach that is widely recognized as the most successful
model for funding fish and wildlife management in the world; and
WHEREAS, Last year alone, New York's sportsmen and women generated
$76.3 million through the American System of Conservation Funding to
support the conservation efforts of the New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation; and
WHEREAS, 1,398,924 hunters and anglers support the state's economy
through their spending, contributing to the billions spent on outdoor
activities in New York last year; and
WHEREAS, According to the most recent data from the Bureau of
Economic Analysis, on the national level, sportsmen and women spent more
than $38 billion on hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting, which
does not include spending on items such as trips and travel, or license
fees that were necessary for their participation; this spending helped
fuel the outdoor economy, which comprised 1.6% of New York's GDP that
same year; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim September 26, 2026, as
Hunting and Fishing Day in the State of New York; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New
York.
